Old Gabby Poem by Francis Duggan

Old Gabby say the harder you work the sooner you'll be dead
Just always work at your own pace it pays to use your head
Just keep looking busy me friend pace yourself through the day
To work hard like a driven slave won't get you extra pay.

Old Gabby say me been around me learnt from years ago
Don't drive your pick hard in the ground use your pick nice and slow
Don't raise your pick above your head no, no, no Gabby say
You work hard in the Summer heat you'll wear yourself away.

Old Gabby say this life unfair 'methink' life quite unfair
We toil to live from hand to mouth the boss a millionaire
We labourers like piece of meat on us the boss grow fat
We are the mice the little mice the boss the greedy cat.

Old Gabby say, we hear all people are equal oh what a load of rot
You're only equal to the next man if equal wealth you've got
And those who say we all are equal are guilty of grave lie
'Yes' we will all be equal all equal when we die.

Old Gabby is a labourer a labourer like me
But there end the comparison he's learnt from all he see
And I've never worked with wiser man a wiser man than he
But then again some wise men have come out of Italy.